1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to secondary battery structure equipped with a secondary battery/batteries and a temperature detector(s) for detecting temperature of the battery/batteries.
2. Description of Related Art
There have conventionally been proposed various secondary batteries as power for portable electric appliances, cellular phones, electric cars, hybrid cars, and the like. Temperature of such proposed secondary batteries goes up high along heating caused by charging/discharging. Especially, in case they are used as power for electric cars, hybrid cars, and the like, temperature of secondary batteries tends to go up considerably high because huge current flows, which is problematic.
To resolve such problems, there has been developed technology to control temperature of secondary batteries. For controlling temperature of secondary batteries appropriately, it is required to detect temperature of secondary batteries appropriately. To meet the requirement, there has recently been developed various technology to detect temperature of secondary battery appropriately.
For example, both JP Patent No. 3175558 and JP Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-35547 disclose structure such that a cylinder-hollow-shaped temperature detecting hole is provided on a resin battery jar (battery case) and a temperature detector is inserted in the temperature detecting hole. Thus arranged temperature detector makes it possible to detect temperature of secondary batteries appropriately.
By the way, secondary batteries with a metallic battery case(s) have recently been in the spotlighted as power for, especially, electric cars, hybrid cars, and the like. That is, a battery case made of metal can enhance battery's heat radiation ability, whereby a rise of battery temperature can be restrained. The batteries with a metal case(s) are also required to detect battery temperature appropriately. However, what disclosed in both JP Patent No. 3175558 and JP Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-35547 is technology to detect temperature of secondary batteries with a resin case(s) appropriately, however, it is not applicable to batteries with a metallic case(s).